Scholarships to Cure Winter Break Idleness

Winter break provides a myriad of free time for many students. With the absence of classes, studying, and homework for several weeks, students are prone to slipping into slumps of nothing-to-do. We have numerous productive options to save ourselves from these descents into idleness: Working part-time, exercising, picking up a few new hobbies, polishing our affinities for our already acquired hobbies, or reading. But, one should not forget a vital option for students: applying for scholarships. To apply for scholarships for college students offered by organizations that are not the colleges themselves can seem daunting—at least, to me it was—but many of these scholarships do not incur an application fee, most are not arduous, and most do not feature a downside to applying. Even if the odds of being awarded a scholarship are not always favorable, it is not harmful to apply to a few—especially if you find yourself with some spare time! I wish I applied to more scholarships when I was in high school. I only considered a few and applied for a couple. I think the main reason I did not is because most that I could find seemed arbitrary in their selection of who is awarded the scholarship. Most that I could find simply asked the student to perform either a charitable or a quirky (seemingly for the sake of quirkiness) task and submit evidence of performance; then, the student would be entered into a random selection for who would win the scholarship. While I served my fair share of community service hours in high school, I now wish I entered more of the charitable scholarship contests. For example, I remember one scholarship contest that I entered for which I donated books to my local library. It is great to be able to serve the community and give back. (I can still forego the quirky contests, although please submit to them if you would like to perform the quirky task they ask of you. To provide another example: One contest I perused two years ago asked students to attend prom in homemade outfits composed of nothing but duct tape.) Applying to these scholarships will provide you with tasks to complete during your winter break. To the fellow loather of idleness, we can never have enough to do, can we? Here are a few scholarships you may consider applying to: This Emerging Artist Scholarship is sponsored by Academy of Art University. It is worth up to $3,000. Apply today if you are an emerging artist in high school or college, or even if you are in the workforce! If you are looking to enter college in Fall 2021 and are involved with high school sports, this scholarship from Foot Locker is for you! Worth $20,000, they will award several students whose experiences in sports have helped their development as “strong leaders in their schools and in their communities.” Apply today! Passionate and eager to help at least one soul in the world? Taco Bell’s Live Más Scholarship is worth up to $25,000. To enter, one must make a short video stating their passion and how their passion can have a positive impact on the world. For those who do not mind writing another essay, here is a meaningful essay scholarship contest: AFA Teens for Alzheimer’s Awareness College Scholarship. You could earn $5,000 with your essay. My heart goes out to all of us struggling to occupy ourselves and avoid brain atrophy. I hope this gives at least one student a way to spend their free time during this winter break. I would recommend we spend most of our time away from digital screens. It will make the break all the more enjoyable and full of enrichment. May those who still have final exams perform with the sincerest of fortune on them, may those who apply to scholarships receive favorable results with or without the particular scholarships for which they apply, and Merry Christmas!